"My Adidas" is the first single from Run–D.M.C.'s third album Raising Hell. It is about Adidas footwear. Released in 1986, the song was written by two of the members, Joseph "DJ Run" Simmons and Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and was produced by Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons. It led to the first endorsement deal between a musical act and an athletic company, after the band's co-manager, Lyor Cohen, invited Adidas executive Angelo Anastasio to the band's concert at Madison Square Garden on July 19, 1986, where the band instructed the audience to hold up their Adidas apparel during the song. This was followed by the group making a video where they addressed Adidas with an a cappella verse before shouting "Give us a million dollars!" This deal is credited with influencing future endorsement deals between brands and musicians, particularly in hip hop culture.
My Adidas
Run-DMC was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens New York, formed in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture and especially one of the most famous hip hop acts of the 1980s. Along with Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, and Public Enemy, the group pioneered new-school hip hop music and helped usher in the golden age of hip hop. The group was among the first to highlight the importance of the MC and DJ relationship.
A poster for a Southern California concert starring the group in 1984
A ticket for a 1984 concert in Oakland, California
12" single cover for the group's single "My Adidas"
Run-DMC in Paris, 1987